The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-20

/" dropped" were restored 10 furlough or leave,
and. in some cases. 20 active service. In an
official report published in 1859 ii is shown
that only 10 were finally left entirely out Of
service; q furloughed or dropped were
changed 10 leave, and 81 had died meanwhile (;
so that the position Of only 10 on the reserved
list remained unchanged from the action OF
1855.
or this reserved list only seven officers are
now on the Navy Register, one, Lieut. Morris,
who entered the service on New Years Day,
ISIS, having died last Spring. The oldest in
years and services is Commodore Henry Bruce
who was appointed Midshipman Nov. 9, 1913,
when
CHILD OF ONLY FIGHT YEARS
aud now resides in Boston. The first law pro-
viding regularly for n retired list was approved
Aug. 3, 1861, and provided for the retirement
OF any officer found by board TO be inccmpe-
tent or disabled for active service, and the re-
served list Of lS55-5S was incorporated into
the new organization. At that time incompe-
tcncy was defined to be extreme old age. This
act also authorized the President to retire any
officer who had served 80 years, If he made
application TO that effect.
In the following December the act making
retirement compulsory at 62 years of age be-
came a law, and still continues in force. The
same act also made retirement compulsory for
a. years service but this clause was afterward
repealed, and it is now optional with the Presi-
dent TO SO retire as he may deem best in indi-
vidual eases.
Early in 1862 IL was enacted that any officer
who had received the thanks of Congress by
name for distinguished services should be ex-
cepted for 10 years further, or until 72 years
Of age,
FROM COMPULSORY RETIREMENT.
II twas this act that retained Rear.Admiral John
J.. Worden, of Monitor Merimac fame. on the
active list until a special act last December en-
abled him 10 retire at his own request on full
sea-pay.
In the Summer OF 1862 an amendment 10 the
retiring law provided that no officer below the
rank of Commander shall be retired for age,
and this is still in force, 10 the benefit in these
later years of those gallant officers who won
places in the Regular Navy for good service in
the volunteer ranks agoat during the war.
The next law on this subject was passed in
April, 1864, and its first section gave authority
10 provide, by retirement, for such officers as
have above written Of who were not recon-
mended for promotion. The section under
which so many scaudalous cases come. as men
toned, is contained in the FIRST general act OF
August, 1851, and is the result of conveniently
stretching the provision made for
THE AGED AND INFIRM.
Under that head there are now 26 names, rang.
ing in merit from the one-armed victim of an
icy street TO the drunkard and diseased de-
lauchee, and in rank from Commanders 70
warrant officers, and including one Chaplain.
-Four Lieutenants ana three medical officers
are on the list under special acts passed in ISL
'73 and 20, transferring them from the volun-
teer service, which ceased at last, in the latter
year 10 exist.
One name appears in the Navy Register as
appointed on the retired list" and excites
much mild speculation in the minds of navy
officers as 10 how the deuce he got there"
The name is under different headings in the
Registers OF different years since 1872. First,
IL appeared in the July Register of 1872 rs
appointed" and ranking as a Lieutenant; a
later Register designated the person Lieu
tenant-Commander las it stands now, and
claimed him as appointed BY act of Congress"
There was no such act, and that title was
dropped another time il was claimed that the
name was there by
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION
and Senatorial confirmation. No such record
is on the Senate books, and that claim dropped
also. Now il has returned TO the original
designation of 1872. The history of this case
is as il has been told me by old officers, that
the person referred 10 entered the service in
lS3S and was dismissed in the Fall of 1854
During the war lac served for time under a
:.
was placed on the retired list by an order Of
the then Secretary of the Navy without any
more warrant or authority of law than the
reader has TO 20 TO Canada and make custom
house appointments there.
The total number of officers on the retired
list JAN !, 1887 (including the appointed Lieu
tenant-Commander), was 367, but there has
since been added about a score of disabled OIL
GERS, and one forage. Those in the published list
are distributed as follows: Rear.Admirals, 81
Commodores, l6; Captains, 10; Commanders,
IL; Lieutenant Commanders. 20; Lieutenants,
26; Lieutenants of the Junior Grade formerly
Masters), 10. and Ensigns, TO- in the line of the
navy. OF the medical staff there are % Medi-
cal Directors IA ranking as Commodores
and as Captains); Medical Inspectors, A;
Surgeons, z; Passed Assistant Surgeons, 6, and
6 Assistant Surgeons The Pay Corps has
Pay Directors, 10 (5 ranking as Commo-
dores); Pay Inspectors, 2; Paymasters, &:
Passed Assistant Paymasters, Q, and l Assist.
ant Paymaster. The Engineer Corps shows l9
Engineers % as Commodores, 6 as Captains, |
as Commander and 9 rs Lieutenant Com
mander), % Passed Assistant Engineers and &c
Assistant Engineers. The Chaplains show up
2 ranking rs Commodores, as Captains and /
as Commander, while the Professors follow
with Commodores and 3 Commanders. Ex-
Chief Naval Constructor Easily is a COmmo.
dore, and there are Captain and Commander
from the Civil Engineers, while the list winds
up in rank with 80 warrant officers Boat
SWANS, Gunners, Carpenters and Sailmakors)
Every officer in the service is subject 10 com
puisory retirement on reaching 62 years Of age
excepting Admiral David ID. Porter and Vice.
Admiral Stephen C. Rowan. With the death oi
these officers the rank each holds dies also, a
the two grades have been abolished by law.